Nasitu (نَسِيتُ), Nussitu (نُسّيتُ) and Unsitu (أُنْسِيتُ)

“It is bad to say, ‘I forgot (نَسِيتُ) such and such an ayah’, Rather he was made to forget”

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 5032, 5039 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 790)

The commentators have offered several explanations and reasons for this. ‘Allamah Nawawi (rahimahullah) says, ‘The words ‘I forgot’ give the impression that a person was negligent and careless with the Quran.’ [By not remembering what he had learnt].

Therefore it is more ethical to say, ‘I was made to forget’, [nussitu/unsitu mean, I was made to forget]. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had also used the words ‘I was made to forget’ [أُنْسِيتُ]. (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 5038 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 788)